I found an article on the Importance of Play. Play allows children to express themselves and make learning their own. Learning doesn't just have to be through a strict rigid schedule or curriculmn but learning takes place through hands on learning and play. The article that I found was titled The Vital Rold of Play in Early Childhood Education. It stated " Adults are convinced that we need to “teach” young children. It is certainly true that we need to set an example in all kinds of activities. We also need to create appropriate spaces where children can play and learn, and we need to lend a helping hand--at times intervene when things are going wrong. But mostly we need to honor the innate capacity for learning that moves and fulfills the needs of healthy children." (Alamon).


I found this article to be interesting because many times we just think of play as a form of entertainment for children when in reality it is more than just fun. Children are learning during the times of play. It is during these times that children tend to learn the most because it is free play that allows them to be creative, free, and enjoy what they are doing without the pressures of a strict curriculum.

http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/pdf/BAPlayAlmon.pdf

Research topic

The topic that I have chosen for the research is lowering childhood obesity by increasing physical activities in the school system. There are a lot of articles on childhood obesity and the need for more physical activity. I have always been interested in this topic, since my cousin dealt with obesity on as a young child.


The American Heart Association recommends:

• All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 60 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activities every day that are developmentally appropriate and varied.
• If your child or children don't have a full 60-minute activity break each day, try to provide at least two 30-minute periods or four 15-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate to their age, gender and stage of physical and emotional development

The National Coalition fo Promoting Physical Activity stated that nearly 63 percent for children are not participating in physical activities by the time they reach high school. This is a high percentage of students that could face childhood obesity among other health issues.

As I start working on my research project, I am open to any suggestions, ideas or words of advice concerning my topic.


Resources: http://www.heart.org

Http://www.ncppa.org